Unexpected Arrivals のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 51 - チャプター 60

Five o'clock traffic was unusually light, or maybe I'd hoped I'd get caught behind a six-car pileup that would take me well into the night. When that hadn't happened, I pulled in behind James. The drive hadn't prepared me to have this conversation with my husband—nothing could. While I sat in my car taking deep, cleansing breaths to keep the anxiety attack at bay, James had gotten out of his and walked toward me. He tapped on the glass with his knuckles. With a silent prayer and a quick deal with God, I grabbed my purse from the passenger seat and got out to greet him. "Hey, babe." James kissed me the way he did every night when he came home, except normally it was in welcome. Tonight something was off. "Why are you home so early? Does your head still hurt?" I peered up at my husband, aware my brow was knitted and concern creased my forehead. He wasn't prone to migraines, but he'd had one last night that put him in bed before the sun went down. He snaked an arm aro

Sitting on a plane, waiting to taxi down the runway, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd made the right decision. I hadn't been surprised when Drake had let me go two days earlier—I couldn't say I was upset, either. I loved my job, on the other hand, the man who owned the company left a lot to be desired. He'd taken far too great an interest in me since the day I'd started. Flattery had quickly turned to irritation when he scrutinized every move I made. And James was right, we didn't need the money. Although, it still felt like failure. James and I hadn't talked much since the night he told me about Chelsea. He was lost in his head, and I was content to let him stay there. It wasn't that I wasn't supportive, I just wondered how our lives were going to change and whether or not I could handle it. I'd never had a desire for children, however, I didn't have an aversion to them. I didn't want for my child exactly what I'd grown up to face and what this poor kid was facing at such an ear

I managed to keep my cool at the playground, although only by the grace of God. We had stayed for about two hours and then wandered down the street to grab an early dinner. I was shocked by how easily James and Legend had fallen into a groove. He'd never indicated a desire for children, yet seeing him with the little redhead made it obvious he was a natural. Luckily, Gwendolyn—or Dottie, whatever her name was—focused on James and Legend and left me to myself to stew over her reappearance in my life. Legend monopolized the conversation, telling James everything he'd ever done, all his favorite foods, favorite color—blue, favorite superhero—Green Lantern, and anything else that came to mind. I interjected where I could without disrupting the flow of the conversation, but mostly, I watched in disbelief. I witnessed a side of my husband I'd never seen and met a version of my grandmother I wasn't aware existed. And I wondered why she hadn't been that loving with me when my parents had

I left my shoes at the house in favor of strolling on the beach barefoot. The sand was warm between my toes, and the waves licked it away as quickly as I took another step. I loved the dark blues of the sky just after the sun had gone down and the moon had taken its place. The ocean rippled with peaks of light, while the water appeared black. And the shades of indigo that turned onyx as they rose off the horizon reminded me of Van Gogh's Starry Night. It was picturesque in a way that belonged exclusively to Geneva Key and one of the few things I adored about this town. James hadn't been given much longer to process this news than I had, but he had a couple days, and he seemed to be faring far better. I wanted to meet him at the place he was mentally, yet making that happen wasn't as easy as clicking my heels together. Since arriving in Geneva Key, my parents' death and what followed after had hung heavy in my mind and on my heart. I'd never been close to my grandparents, and the o

"James, your parents are here. And they brought lunch." I propped Legend on my hip like I'd done it a thousand times in the last five years and pointed at the huge picnic basket Brock held at his side. It had been the plan, but seeing the size of the basket, I wondered if they'd packed enough food to feed us for days instead of just one meal. "Why don't you take Legend up there, and I'll get the floats." I had forgotten all about the tube and raft that had drifted a bit when we hopped off them. James rounded them up while we climbed out of the waist-high waves and back onto stable ground. When I put Legend down, he pulled on my hand and clutched it tightly. "Who are they?" he asked as he pointed under our umbrella. He hadn't shown an ounce of fear with James or me, yet suddenly, his trepidation was front and center. "Those are your grandparents. Are you excited to meet them?" I'd raised the tone of my voice half an octave to try to convince him there was nothing t